Viretta's face drained of color, while Iola's expression remained only slightly concerned.
Used to putting his life on the line, Iola was preparing himself ntally. After all, he had once faced Moslin’s lightning head-on.
“Although the ti and place limit our ability to gauge Moslin’s full power, I’m sure that even a slight electric shock could kill a person.”
“What?!”
Viretta, forgetting to hide from the dragon’s gaze, shouted.
This ti, Iola didn’t stop her from speaking.
By the ti the lightning had grown to a certain size, hiding from the dragon’s gaze had beco aningless. At this rate, the dragon would be distracted by the lightning as soon as it raised its body.
“After all, Moslin’s the Flash of the Rose War. It’s a famous story that when the flash of light appeared, almost no one could stand on the ground.”
“Really?!”
“With one spell, she brought down an entire wall of a castle. She may have quit rcenary work, but I’m still a bit excited to see her skills. No matter the path she takes, I suppose I’ll always be the son of Najin.”
“This is no ti to be shy!!”
Viretta couldn’t understand why Iola seed sowhat reassured. She only heard fragnts of the story, but the thought of Moslin’s lightning magic terrified her.
As lightning crackled from above, the surroundings beca brighter as if two suns were shining.
The unfortunate horses of Viretta and Iola neighed desperately and tried to flee, only to be blown away by the dragon's breath in the opposite direction.
The sound of the horse’s cries was pitiful.
Sadly, there was no ti to focus on the horses now. Taking advantage of the mont when the dragon's gaze was averted, Viretta darted to the spot she had been watching.
Grabbing Iola's wrist, she sprinted with all her might, and Iola imdiately matched her pace. He ran slightly faster than Viretta to avoid burdening her.
“Here! Get in!”
Viretta pushed Iola into a large wooden crate.
It wasn’t big enough to stand in, but if they sat, they would just fit.
It was a box so large and heavy that one person could never carry it alone, with gaps for ventilation.
It looked peculiar, like it was used to transport minerals or sothing else heavy.
Viretta shoved Iola into the crate, urging him with determination. He reluctantly stepped inside.
Luckily, the crate was quite high. Although they couldn’t stand, they had enough space to sit with a hand’s width of room above their heads.
There was also enough space on the sides for two more people. Viretta praised her sharp eye and quickly ran off to gather other materials.
“Viretta?!”
“I’m going!”
Her voice had grown louder without her realizing. But it was already too late. She couldn’t tell how much noise they had made while running.
Luckily, the dragon didn’t seem to be paying attention to them, but unfortunately, it was starting to rise from its nest and move its body.
“Viretta! The dragon—”
“It’s watching the lightning!”
The dragon’s gaze followed the small glowing sphere in the sky. Its large eyelids drooped, but curiosity made it lift its head again.
While the dragon repeated this behavior two or three tis, Viretta gathered pieces of rope and thick branches that had fallen nearby.
She braided the rope and branches together, wrapping them tightly around the crate.
Though the crate was slightly damaged on the outside, it appeared sturdy, made from thick wood.
However, if it were to be jolted and the lid or side opened, it would be problematic.
Viretta made sure to tie the crate securely, leaving a gap just wide enough for her to fit in case of ergency.
“Lucky for us. The dragon has never encountered lightning magic before. It doesn’t know what it is, so it’s not avoiding it.”
“Thank goodness! The gods are on my side. My donations are paying off!”
Normally, people would say “I’m glad I lived a good life,” but there was no need to ntion that. Iola hurriedly coiled the rope and helped Viretta climb into the crate.
Once Viretta was inside, she closed the lid and reached her hand through the gaps in the crate to pull the rope tightly.
The rope and branches tightened, securing the crate firmly. Only then did Viretta let out a sigh of relief.
“Phew, phew... That’s it. If the nest collapses, we should last for at least half a day in here. If we’re lucky, we might avoid the lightning too.”
A direct hit from lightning would be fatal.
If the dragon, struck by lightning, went wild and destroyed the nest, they might be crushed by the debris.
If the dragon kicked everything around after being struck, they would die then too.
To prepare for such a situation, Viretta hid inside the crate with Iola. Here, even if an avalanche occurred, they could withstand it for a short ti.
There was no guarantee they would be rescued, but right now, surviving the imdiate danger was the most important thing.
“Oh, the lightning can be handled by a lightning rod. I’ve already set up a few. Still, good thinking. If the dragon starts rampaging and the nest collapses, it would be a disaster.”
The dragon’s nest, both in shape and structure, resembled that of a large bird.
Just like birds collect twigs and stones to build their nests, dragons use wood, stone, and discarded human objects to create their hos.
In this mine, there were many things the dlit family hadn’t taken yet.
Thus, the dragon’s nest was made up of mining carts, crates, and pulleys, abandoned items scattered throughout the mine.
Viretta, with a sharp eye, quickly grabbed a sturdy-looking crate and ran back. Iola marveled at her creativity.
“Impressive.”
While a wooden crate wouldn’t be much protection against lightning, her skill in using the available materials was quite impressive.
“Let’s talk about it after we survive. We should really be prepared for her magic now.”
The crate had gaps on the sides, so Viretta could see out the front, but the top was blocked, so the sky was out of sight.
However, as the lightning crackled again, the surroundings grew brighter, so there was no mistake about it.
The nest hadn’t shown any signs of shaking yet, so the dragon was still just shaking its head and hadn’t taken off.
“By the way, are you okay?”
Iola, who was already sitting inside, spoke to Viretta, who was breathing heavily, wiping her sweaty palm on her skirt and trying to act tough.
“Heh, do you think I’m not fine? For an experienced hunter like , this kind of crisis is just a yearly event.”
“No, I an, you’re too close to . Are your ribs and intestines okay?”
Coincidentally, the crate was too small for two adults to sit comfortably.
Iola was a large adult, and Viretta was much taller than the average woman.
Sitting together, their arms, legs, and shoulders were pressed closely, their breaths and voices blending like ingredients in a salad bowl.
“Ah. Yes. Uh. Yes. Uh. Yes.”
“You’re making noises like you’re broken.”
“Ah, no. Yes. Uh, no. Yes.”
“I’m afraid I can’t avoid this, but are you alright?”
“Y-yes. Ah. Of course.”
In an instant, the color returned to Viretta’s face. Her eyes spun around, rolling everywhere.
Viretta could only process one emotion at a ti. Her mind, which couldn’t function efficiently, was only able to handle one feeling at a ti.
It could either be fear or excitent, but right now, it was the excitent that took over.
The fact that she was trapped in a narrow crate with Iola was thrilling.
Viretta had done many things, but she wasn’t immune to a man acting friendly with her. Especially when that man said things like “I might end up liking you.”
Her heart raced, and the fear that had been in her mind faded away.
In this dangerous situation, with the dragon lurking behind them, the girlhood feelings she had once suppressed started asserting themselves again.
“Ugh, the veins near my heart again...”
Just then, the sky lit up brightly.
A sudden flash and a burst of light almost blinded them. The shock made Viretta stop breathing for a mont.
A second later, she slled sothing burning, like the dragon was roasting sothing, and the crate shook.
Another second later, there was a thunderous roar, shaking the very earth.
And the vibrations continued.
“Failure.”
Viretta, gripping the wooden slats, muttered absentmindedly.
From the terrifying sound of the dragon’s tail slamming the ground, she could guess what had happened.
A massive lightning bolt had struck, but the dragon didn’t fall. Moslin’s magic had failed.
Whether it was due to a lack of power, the distance, or a failed aim, there was no ti to consider it.
The important thing was that Moslin had failed, and the wounded dragon began thrashing wildly.
The feeling of impending doom surged as Viretta feared they might be trampled to death by the rampaging dragon. As her hands clenched the wooden slats so hard her fingernails left marks, Iola grabbed her shoulder.
“We’re done for—Ah!”
“AAAHHH!!”
With that, Viretta and Iola slipped backward, slamming their heads hard against the crate.
The pain in their backs, necks, and heads almost made them cry, but a more pressing reality unfolded before their eyes.
“Am I... flying?”
The sensation of floating spread through her body. The ground, once visible beyond the crate, was rapidly receding and shrinking.
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